1. A Grand Plan for FIA’s role in a FS National Carbon Accounting System Linda S. Heath USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, FIA Forest Carbon Accounting and Research Durham, NH

2. SUMMARY POINTS  Carbon stocks and CO2 change  Intensive-site measurements needed for overall FS C System  TPO/Utilization studies—Fate of carbon is keyt 2

3. Some accomplishments thus far..  FIA-based estimates have been gold standard for forest carbon for over a decade in the US --policy use, science community Sustainability report, Heinz Center reports, Paper in Science (by Pacala et al.), Voluntary Reporting Program update, GHG inventories

4. Carbon Tools Web Page nrs.fs.fed.us/carbon/tools --Carbon Calculator Tool --FORCARB2

5. National GHG reporting to UNFCCC Annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Sinks (1990-present) – US EPA Every 5 years, summary national communication -State Dept. USDA biennial

6. % contribution to CO2 inventory total sequestration for LULUCF, 2007 6

7. Guidance for GHG inventories evolves  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (1994-1996)  IPCC Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (2001- 2003)  2006 IPCC Revision Guidelines. Volume 4: AFOLU: Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use 7

8. Sunset over the Indian Ocean, Mauritius

9. Primary equations  Carbon stock = area x carbon/area  CO2 change = ((Stock(t2)– Stock (t1))/(t2-t1))*3.66 9

10. Forest carbon stocks AND CO2 change (dynamics) are needed  Carbon per acre, all forest pools  Change in C over time for GHG inventories (CO2 equivalents – CO2eq)  Area of forest, change in area of forest 10

11. C stocks per hectare by county

12. Flux data typically calculated at 30-minute intervals but aggregated to daily, monthly or annual values

13. Measurements from intensive- site techniques are essential --Provides interannual variability (for a “footprint” around tower) --Soil and forest floor flux --Per Acre Differences

14. System boundaries are key Finland story All managed lands and related activities? All carbon pools (above, belowground)? Fate of forest carbon beyond the forest –Trade (imports/exports) –Substitution? 14

15. Proposed Managed land in AK 15

16. National program goals for FIA To conduct strategic forest inventories of the United States to estimate: extent of forest land volume, growth, and removal of forest resources; and health and condition of the forest

17. 17 Area, Area change Ground plots– all pools Harvested wood & products --Utilization Studies --Timber Products Output Web based information systems National Inventory & Monitoring Applications Center The FIA is basically a land based National Carbon Accounting System

18. FIA contribution to CO2 change estimates (GHG inventories) less strong Emissions from dead wood? (not available yet!?) Emissions/seq. in soil carbon? Emissions from fire disturbances Area change! 18

19. US forest estimates w/fire 19

20. Competitive advantages for FIA We are the nation’s forest census Data on carbon stocks Focused on data and “users” Technical expertise in measurements and math What about the science community?

21. FIA and the Science Community --FIA is in the R&D branch of the FS --FS R&D personnel are covered under the FS Code of Scientific Ethics when conducting research

22. Priority improvements /Carbon estimates based on P3 data are documented and made available in tools and datasets /Biomass equations -- US wide sampling for biomass data, conducted w/ utilization studies? /Land Use-Land Cover and Change